Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) is known to the world as the child piano prodigy who was exploited by his father at age 5, entertaining royalty throughout Europe. He is also said to have been prodigious on violin and composing at the age of five.

Although he was to compose for only the next 30 years, his output is also prodigious. Despite his popularity, he died a pauper. The circumstances surrounding his death are mysterious in that he was commissioned by a an unknown person to write a Requiem Mass for the dead. He had not finished before he died, but he was able to instruct a student to complete the task after his death. Leaving no fund even for burial, he was buried in a common grave with other “un-notable commoners,” at an unidentified site. There is little evidence to justify the notion of his rivalry with Salieri, a contemporary composer, but the movie in the latter part of the 20th century, Amadeus, suggests the rivalry as part of the mystery surrounding Mozart’s death.

Besides his numerous symphonies, operas, piano concerto’s and piano sonatas, he also wrote a number of masses. He was well-known, for “Ave Verum Corpus.” a favorite of church choirs at least in the mid-20th century.